The present invention relates to a page-turning apparatus having simple configuration and allowing size reduction, and to a page-turning method.
In recent years, an ATM (Automated Teller Machine) or a window machine has been widely used as a portion of a computerized banking system. Incorporated in these types of machine is a page-turning apparatus for automatically turning pages of a bankbook when there is no printing space on an opened page. With this page-turning apparatus, a customer is not required to turn page himself or herself, which reduces a time required for transaction processing.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory view schematically showing an example of a page-turning apparatus based on the conventional technology. This page-turning apparatus 500 comprises a turning roller 503 located between a first carrier roller 501 and a second carrier roller 502. The first carrier roller 501 is paired with a first carrier tension roller 504. The second carrier roller 502 is paired with a second carrier tension roller 505. Also, the turning roller 503 is paired with a turning tension roller 506. A first guide 507 for turning in the regular direction is provided between the first carrier roller 501 and the turning roller 503.
The first guide 507 is rotatably supported at one edge thereof. The other edge of the first guide 507 has a curved section 507a for making a bankbook T easily be introduced. A second guide 508 for turning in the reverse direction is provided between the second carrier roller 502 and the turning roller 503. The second guide 508 is rotatably supported at one edge thereof. The other edge of the second guide 508 has a curved section 508a similar to that of the first guide 507. The first guide 507 and the second guide 508 are reversely operated to each other.
The first guide 507 and the second guide 508 form a carrier path with a lower-side guide 509. Located below the first guide 507 is a first pressure lever 510. Also, located below the second guide 508 is a second pressure lever 511. The pressure levers 510 and 511 are driven by first and second pressures MG 512 and 513 respectively. Located above the first guide 507 is a first sensor 514.
The first sensor 514 senses whether the first guide 507 is present or not. When the first guide 507 swings to be placed in front of the first sensor 514, the first sensor 514 senses the first guide 507. Similarly, located above the second guide 508 is a second sensor 515. The second sensor 515 senses whether the second guide 508 is present or not. When the second guide 508 swings to be placed in front of the second sensor 515, the second sensor 515 senses the second guide 508. A first roller lock MG 516 locks the first carrier roller 501. A second roller lock MG 517 locks the second carrier roller 502.
Next description is made for an operation of this page-turning apparatus 500. At first, as shown in FIGS. 14A to 14D, a bankbook T is carried in a direction of the left side in the figure with the first carrier roller 501 (FIG. 14A). In this case, the turning roller 503 also plays a roll as a carrier. Then, the first carrier roller 501 is locked by the first roller lock MG 516 in a state where the bankbook T is held with the first carrier roller 501 as well as with the turning roller 503. By locking the first carrier roller 501, the bankbook T can be locked.
Then, the turning roller 503 is rotated. The turning roller 503 and a page of the bankbook T are locked with friction therebetween. Accordingly, rotation of the turning roller 503 (FIG. 14B) makes the page warped. Also, the first pressure lever 510 pushes the bankbook T from the rear side thereof to help the page to easily be warped. The first guide 507 swings along the warped page. The first sensor 514 senses swinging of the first guide 507. Then, the turning roller 503 is rotated and the page is rejected (FIG. 14C).
The first sensor 514 senses the rejected page. When the page has been rejected, the first carrier roller 501 is released from being locked by the first roller lock MG 516. Then, the first carrier roller 501, turning roller 503, and the second carrier roller 502 are rotated to carry the bankbook T in a direction of the left side in the figure. A page of the bankbook T is turned over with this carrier (FIG. 14D). It should be noted that the page described above is generally used for indicating a face of any page on a book or a notebook, but is also used here to indicate each form of a bankbook or the like for convenience of description.
A page can reversely be turned over with a reverse operation thereto. As shown in FIGS. 15A to 15D, the bankbook is carried to the left side in the figure by the second carrier roller 502 (FIG. 15A). In this case, the turning roller 503 also plays a roll as a carrier.
Then, the second carrier roller 502 is locked by the second roller lock MG 517 in a state where the bankbook T is held with the second carrier roller 501 as well as with the turning roller 503. By locking the second carrier roller 502, the bankbook T can be locked. Then, the turning roller 503 is rotated in the reverse direction to the regular-turning of a page. Rotation of the turning roller 503 makes a page warped (FIG. 15B).
Also, the second pressure lever 511 pushes the bankbook T from the rear side thereof to help the page to easily be warped. The second guide 508 swings along the warped page. The second sensor 515 senses swinging of the second guide 508. Then, the turning roller 503 is rotated and the page is rejected (FIG. 15C).
The second sensor 515 senses the rejected page. When the page has been rejected, the second carrier roller 502 is released from being locked by the second roller lock MG 517. Then, the second carrier roller 502, turning roller 503, and the first carrier roller 501 are rotated to carry the bankbook T in a direction of the right side in the figure. A page of the bankbook T is reversely turned over with this carrier (FIG. 15D).
In the conventional type of page-turning apparatus 500, a page of a bankbook T can automatically be turned over when entry columns on the page run out. However, the conventional type of page-turning apparatus 500 requires two guides of the first guide 507 and the second guide 508 because page-turning is carried out in the regular direction as well as in the reverse direction.
The conventional type of page-turning apparatus 500 also requires two units of sensor 514, 515 for sensing swinging of both the first guide 507 and the second guide 508. And for this reason, the number of components resultantly increases, which makes the page-turning apparatus 500 complicated. In addition, the apparatus itself is made larger.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a page-turning apparatus enabling size reduction of the apparatus because of its simple structure, a page-turning method, and a computer-readable recording medium with a program for making a computer execute the method recorded therein.
To achieve the object described above, a page-turning apparatus according to the present invention comprises a first roller for carrying a brochure-formed medium having a plurality of pages, rotating or stopping independently, warping and rejecting a page by rotating, and locking a page by stopping; a second roller for carrying the brochure-formed medium together with the first roller, warping and rejecting a page by rotating in association with locking the page with the first roller, and locking the page by stopping in association with warping and rejecting the page by the first roller; and a guide section located between the first roller and second roller for guiding the object for page-turning and moving along a warped or rejected page.
A page is tuned over with the first roller and the second roller. For example, a page of an object for page-turning is locked by stopping the first roller, the page is rejected by rotating the second roller, the object is carried with the page rejected, and the page is turned over. The page is reversely turned over with the reverse operation. With this structure, the page can be turned over only with two rollers doubling as carrier rollers. Also, conventionally, as a turning roller is located between the two carrier rollers, two units of guide sections are required to form a carrier path. In the structure of the present invention, as page-turning in the regular and reverse directions is performed with two rollers, only one unit of guide is provided between the two rollers. For this reason, the structure of the apparatus is made simpler, which allows the apparatus to be minimized.
A page-turning apparatus according to the present invention comprises a first roller and a second roller located at a specified space between the rollers each rotating or stopping independently; and a guide section located between the first roller and second roller for guiding a brochure-formed medium having a plurality of pages and also rotating and swinging along a page warped or rejected by rotation of the first and second roller.
Conventionally, as a turning roller is located between the two carrier rollers, two units of guide sections are required to form a carrier path. In the structure of the present invention, as page-turning in the regular and reverse directions is performed with two rollers, only one unit of guide is provided between the two rollers. A warped form of a page in the page-turning in the regular direction is different from that in the reverse direction. In order to handle the different forms, the guide section is so constructed that the section rotates and swings along a warped or rejected page. For example, a guide is rotatably provided at the edge of a swinging arm. With this provision, the structure of the apparatus is made simpler, which allows the apparatus to be minimized.
A page-turning apparatus according to the present invention comprises a first roller for carrying a brochure-formed medium having a plurality of pages, rotating or stopping independently, warping and rejecting a page by rotating, and locking a page by stopping; a second roller for carrying the brochure-formed medium together with the first roller, warping and rejecting a page by rotating in association with locking the page with the first roller, and locking the page by stopping in association with warping and rejecting the page by the first roller; a guide section located between the first roller and second roller for guiding the object for page-turning and moving along a warped or rejected page; and a sensor for determining whether a page is warped or rejected according to movement of the guide section.
As the guide section moves along a warped or rejected page, the sensor can sense whether the page is warped or rejected according to the movement of the guide section. When the page is rejected, the object for page-turning is carried with the page rejected, and the page is turned over.
In a page-turning apparatus according to the present invention, a shielding plate is provided in the guide section, and the sensor determines whether a page is warped or rejected by sensing presence of this shielding plate.
As the guide section swings due to a warped or rejected page, the shielding plate is provided in this guide section. The sensor senses presence of this shielding plate. The sensor determines whether a page is warped or rejected according to whether the shielding plate is present or not.
A page-turning apparatus according to the present invention comprises a first roller and a second roller located at a specified space; a motor for rotating the first and second rollers; a transfer mechanism for transferring rotation of the motor; a locking section for locking the first roller and second roller; a guide section rotatably provided at an edge section of a swinging arm with the other edge section thereof pivotally supported and located between the first roller and second roller; and a sensor for sensing presence of a shielding plate provided on the arm.
Specifically, the first roller and the second roller are rotated by the motor as well as through the transfer mechanism. Also, the rotation of the first roller or the second roller is locked by the locking section. A page is rejected by, for instance, locking the second roller with the locking section and rotating the first roller. The guide section rotates and swings along a rejected page. A page can be turned over by carrying a brochure-formed medium with the page rejected. By locking the first roller and rotating the second roller, the page can reversely be turned over. Even with this structure, only one unit is required as the guide section, and for this reason, the apparatus has a simple structure, which allows the apparatus to be minimized.
A page-turning apparatus according to the present invention further comprises a roller control section for controlling rotation and stopping of the first roller as well as of second roller.
The roller control section locks, when a page is to be turned, for example, in the regular direction, the second roller and rotates the first roller. When a page is to be turned in the reverse direction, the roller control section locks the first roller and rotates the second roller. The roller control section comprises a CPU for a computer and a program with a sequence recorded therein.
A page-turning method according to the present invention comprises a step of locking a page of a brochure-formed medium having a plurality of pages by stopping either one of a first and second rollers located at a specified space therebetween and rejecting a page by rotating the other roller; and a page turning step of turning a page by transferring the brochure-formed medium to the side of the page rejected by the first or second roller.
In this method, a page is turned in the regular and reverse directions by using both the first roller and second roller. A brochure-formed medium is carried also by the first roller and second roller. Accordingly, there is no need to provide a turning roller between the two units of carrier roller like in the conventional technology. For this reason, there is a smaller number of objects to be controlled, which allows a page to easily be turned over.
A page-turning method according to the present invention comprises a step of locking a page of a brochure-formed medium having a plurality of pages by stopping either one of a first roller and a second roller located at a specified space therebetween and rejecting the page by rotating the other roller; a step of swinging a guide section for guiding the brochure-formed medium along a rejected page in the rejecting step above and determining rejection of the page by sensing this guide section with a sensor; and a page-turning step of turning a page, after rejection of the page is determined, by transferring the brochure-formed medium to the side of page rejected by the first or second roller.
A page is rejected by, for example, locking the page of a brochure-formed medium with the stopped first roller and rotating the second roller. When the page is rejected, the guide section swings along the page. The sensor senses the swinging of the guide section and a control section or the like determines rejection of the page according to output from the sensor. When the page is rejected, the brochure-formed medium is carried with the page rejected and the page is turned over.